EXGF – We Are The Hearts (Premiere)

We Are The Hearts...
Have you ever denied yourself the opportunity to make the right decision? i.e. You know shouldn’t take a job for the money, you know the person you’re with isn’t right for you, but you do it anyway, you carry on for the wrong reasons. What makes us so reluctant to choosing our nobler influences and why are we ruled by habitual vices, weak to our desires?
Those are tough questions but often times it’s our own ego hidden in the form of intellect that gives credence to our ego supported qualities. The intellect is nothing more than a middle man ...

EMPT Exclusive: Countryclub – Woods

I first met Lauren Musacchio when we worked together at Rolling Stone. She came into the studio before Elle Goulding was scheduled to perform, sat down at the piano and started singing. Then a dude from the art department wandered in and picked up a guitar and started to play. The two of them sang and played until the ubiquitous entourage of assistants and stylists came and took over the space. Now fast forward a few years later and Lauren has her own band and new single…and is well on her way to having her own entourage. Lauren Musacchio and ...

EMPT Exclusive: The New York Groove Mix by Barry Poppins & Falcon Punch

I'm not guilty
You're the one who's guilty
The lawmakers and politicians
The Colombian druglords
All you who lobby against making drugs legal
Just like you did with alcohol during the prohibition
You're the one who's guilty -Nino Brown, New Jack City (1991)
There are several things that I realize and think about every day. They're all mostly spurred by the fact that I reside in and remain prideful of New York City, but they have to do with all facets of life. Today, I thought for a long time about the history of Ancient Egyptians. Many find the idea of Ancient Egypt extremely fascinating. It's not even ...

As+ronomyy — Things I’d Do For U

It's Leo season, and I bring that up because this next tune here, Things I'd Do For You by As+ronomyy, is simply about the subject that Leo's hold as the most important thing in their lives—Love.
"Things I'd Do For You" is a minimalist display of sounds and lyrics that are as direct and as forward as a fiery Leo's presence. There are no vocal production tricks, no innovative new sounds and absolutely no transitions, but, it's just as good as anything else that's out there, and maybe even better.
Sometimes, as we all know too well, less is more. Our friends ...

Lorde Vs. Biggie — Can I Get Witcha Love Club (Carter Mashup)

Pick at your food with the knife in your right hand cutting the meat, and fork in your left hand to hold the meet down. After a few bite-sized pieces of food are cut, place knife on edge of plate with blades facing in. Eat the food by switching the fork over to your right hand (unless, of course, you are left handed).
P.S. A left hand, arm or elbow, on the table is bad manners...
"They" tell us what is proper to do, and then they teach us that everything else is just wrong, but who are "they", and more importantly, who gives ...

Parra For Cuva feat. Anna Naklab – Wicked Games (Original Mix)

The original "Wicked Games" by Chris Isaak has to be one of my favorite songs, the lyrics, and the luring strums of the guitar, it's so effortlessly beautiful and timeless. So when I heard this original mix from Parra For Cuva & Anna Naklab I fell in love all over again. I can shamelessly say that I am in love and it doesn't matter with what or with who, so you can just keep on guessing, but the original is what plays in my head on a weekly basis, and now depending on my mood I now have two versions ...

FTSE vs Bipolar Sunshine — A LITTLE SUMTHIN

Sometimes we get so caught up in the idea of how we see things, that we simply fail to realize the reality that's in front of us. It could be anything. The hopeless romantic in me is always referring to love, so why stop today?
A friend asked me if there was a way one could know if someone they loved so much, truly loved them back. Thinking about it for a little while, a response to that question was finally formulated. The response was simple. If you could imagine every moment spent with that person as a deaf and blind ...

Hypocrisy in politics,It’s not good. It’s not good. We don’t want any.Demagogy in politics,It’s not good. It’s not good. We don’t want any.Dictatorship in politics,It’s not good. It’s not good. We don’t want any.Happiness, happiness for the people,Love, love for the people.It’s not good. It’s not good. We don’t want any.

Corrupt men in politics,It’s not good. It’s not good. We don’t want any.Schemers in politics,It’s not good. It’s not good. We don’t want any.Dictators in politics,It’s not good. It’s not good. We don’t want any.Respect, respect for the people.

Peace, peace for the peoplePolitics betrays its fathersPolitics betrays its friendsIt’s also a machine of warNo pity for its enemiesHe’s working for himself while saying that he’s working for us.He tells us thank you while thinking that he’s the one who did it.

It used to be that before heading out into the city I’d throw on some Hip Hop to get ready for the night of excitement to come. After a hot shower, I’d turn the sound system on at home, stare at the city from my windows as I got dressed while listening to the latest and greatest rap song, and get hyped for a night of unpredictable escapes and unforeseeable trouble. But those times are no longer here, and the genre of the moment has now changed.

For me, today, it’s all about the moment and whatever it is that I’m listening to in that moment. I no longer remain faithful to any specific genres anymore—no. Instead, I simply remain faithful to good music and how it makes me feel at its very best.

Sonic master Madeon needs no intro. It has been evident over the years that we are fans over here at EMPT, and that doesn’t seem as if it will be changing much over the next few years to come.

Imperium is what I’m listening to now, as I get ready for the adventures of the night that this city is about to whisk me off to to in just a few hours. As I throw on a simple all black outfit and sleek tie, I think to myself: ‘Are you really ready?” because if my night tonight is going to shape up to be anything like this track right here, well then it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

Tom Misch has been getting a lot of EMPT love lately. And it’s not surprising! His smooth tenor voice and the jazzy style of guitar are brought together wonderfully. He also has a lot to offer to other artists’ songs. Take Rae Morris’s “Closer”- Tom adds just a little- just enough- to change the entire mood, and bring the song’s “chill” level through the roof.

His John Mayer-esque guitar is addictive. It makes me want to pick up a guitar and replicate it, even though I know his skill is unattainable to me. But it makes me WISH I had that talent! Oftentimes we witness someone’s talent and think, ‘Wow, that’s impressive’. Other times we think, ‘WOW, I really wish I could do that!!!” And the latter is one of those times for me, as I listen to this tune.

Tom and Rae sound as if they are singing simultaneously, in the same physical arena; and I was surprised to see it was a remix and not the original. The harmony Tom injects is seamless and ultra smooth. I could listen to this song over and over and pay no notice to the repetition. It’s there, in the background, minding its own business- for your listening pleasure. If this song had a personality, it would be a monk-like figure sitting on a park bench watching the world pass by him.

So sit down, relax, and let the music chill you out. Also, keep your ears perked for Rae Morris’s new album, coming out in January of 2015. Tom Misch recently released an EP and I’ve given it several listens and recommend it! I wasn’t aware that Tom did so much purely instrumental songs, but his EP is minimalistic with its vocals.

First of all, this is the jam. California native Anderson Paak’s brand of music is about as stylish, modern and fresh as they come. His debut album “Venice” is a proclamation of his love for California to which I can most certainly relate. January of 2015 marks my 3rd year of West Coasting’ and not one day goes by that I regret moving out here. In fact, I’m developing a deep affection for LA that gets stronger by the second. You have to live here to know, but there’s something special happening in the City of Angels, especially in the arts. I mean for Hedi Slimane to setup shop in LA should be an indication of the creative energy flowing through here.

Cause lately my whole being just wants what it needs…”

I love those lyrics and it sums up all my decision-making and path taking these days—it’s all kinesthetic. I’ve spent a long time trying to understand things through thought, but I’m learning that’s just not enough. To find what you need from life you have to listen to your gut, the vibrations of nature and allow those truths to guide you.

Everything changes when you do that, consumerism and materialism take a backseat to essentialism. Like it or not, many of our desires are manufactured through the marketing machine that is culture. These synthetic desires become so ingrained in us that it becomes hard to distinguish between essential and commercial. It runs so deep that we’ve been programmed to think that listening to yourself, using your imagination and thinking outside of the set parameters are taboo. That’s why those lyrics resonate with me because it symbolizes a person in tune with higher laws. In this instance, Anderson .Paak is speaking of love and there’s no better application. Love shouldn’t be hard or complicated, it should flow like water. Water doesn’t fight its surroundings, it takes the form of anything it encounters and overwhelms it. If it doesn’t flow like that then it’s not right; there’s not much thinking to do about it. If it doesn’t flow like that then you shouldn’t be in it. Word.

I think I’m alrightI think it’s not a good day to die todayYou know I feel like flyingAnywhere fast, fucking far away”

The world is in disarray. Americans protesting on all coasts, police officers shooting citizens and choking them to death for infractions that don’t even command arrests by law, and a system left where the only decision it can make to avoid disruption is to side with the very pitbulls it erroneously trained to kill.

Disorder has been imminent since the birth of this grandiose nation. A nation they want us to believe was purchased for pennies by tribes that didn’t even consider themselves owners of the land. A nation full of more lies and coverups than all the soap operas ever created in time in order to save face for its citizens.

But, there is a difference in these Space Aged days that we are living. That difference is access to instantaneous information. They can no longer censor the bits and pieces of the full and true stories that will allow us to see what is what; information travels much too fast nowadays. They can no longer hide their criminal pasts and ill intentions. Instead, they want us to look the other way as they protect the very mistakes they created: officers that over-police at every corner based on emotion.

Since when is walking on the street illegal? Since when do we not draw up criminal charges for someone who commits a criminal act? Is not an illegal chokehold, illegal?

You can’t strong-arm a foreign land, draw up your own rules and regulations for it, and then choose who does and who doesn’t get charged with crimes when they violate the laws of the republic. That is not how the land of the free, and a system that was supposedly made for the people, works.

It is time that we protect each other. It is time to realize that the very people hired and trained to protect us have betrayed us for the corporatocracies that sign their checks. It is time to follow through with what your gut tells you the next time you see these criminals with badges abusing your fellow citizens because they, are no longer on OUR side. When they put on their badges they only see us versus them, and so we must take stands dailyif we are to see change and live in a world where standing up for one’s beliefs is not punishable by death.

José Jame‘s “EveryLittleThing” sets off the pace for a revolution that is already here. 200+ people arrested in the capital city of the planet is no coincidence. New York sets the pace and tone for the rest of the nation, and the world. The system understands that by suppressing the most influential citizens it can win without a war, but we are smarter than that, and we won’t give in so easily anymore.

If 500+ people need to be arrested today, and 1,000+ tomorrow, then so be it. We need to remind the globe why we are a nation of individuals not to be fucked with, and that homegrown, organized, and falsely legalized terrorism will be dealt with the same exact amount of compassion that we deal with foreign terrorists to our own republic. We must begin to put up firm hands and robust fists in the faces of the uniformed oppressors and their masters in order to remind them why they are where they are in the first place.

Do not be afraid to stand up for your fellow citizens. Do not hide behind smartphone cameras convincing yourselves that you are helping, and do not walk away with regret knowing that our power lies in numbers and not guns, swords, germs nor steel. If 36 police officers are surrounded by 300+ unarmed citizens, let me remind you that they, by law, can NOT shoot.

We will begin to change things to how they should be:—police officers that help keep our belongings safe, politicians that hold our best interests in place, and a system that listens to us on demand rather than ignore our century-long chants.

Romare does it again. Killer groove & smutty samples with his signature cut and paste stylings, dig it. I’ve written about at least two other Romare tracks this year– this up and coming British producer is definitely one to check out if you’ve yet to experience his magic. Pusherman is the B side to his latest 12″ release, Roots and it’s fucking fantastic. Roll it up and take a hit, you won’t regret it.

Bearson took James Bay’s down-tempo “Let It Go”, sped it up and added multiple musical elements, transforming a pensive song into one of beauty. The simplicity of the original captures James’s voice as the focal point, and sheds light on the melancholy subject at hand. This remix elevates the mood and mutates it into one that emits more than just sorrow. Whilst listening to this mix, I feel momentum- the added percussion is the key to the lightened mood.

It wasn’t until I actually listened to the original that I realized he was describing a deteriorated relationship! The body that Bearson adds draws the listener’s attention away from the subject and more on the beat- my passive listening style at the time was attuned to this aspect. The first time I heard it, I only really caught onto the lines that emphasize individuality of both partners…

Why don’t you be you,
And I’ll be me

One thing that scares me about relationships is the possibility of melding two individuals into seemingly one being. We’ve all seen it (or even lived it)! The thing is… I like being ME! I understand that a relationship involves concessions, but where does the line stop? At what point are these concessions altering my personality- my core? Is it so unrealistic to think that my partner won’t try and change me? In a perfect world, I’d meet a partner who understands me wholly and accepts the positives and negatives that my personality holds, who appreciates my differences, and allows me to be my weird self. BUT.. this world is far from perfect. And that’s what makes it interesting. So I continue to actively meet people, hoping that one might spark my interest; someone who appreciates my quirks instead of admonishing them! Who wants a partnership like that?

Most people want to achieve something in life that they’re remembered for. We want to be stars on the Hollywood walk and we want our names to ring bells.

But sometimes, the quietest stars and the people in the background are the most influential ones. These are the people who make an impact without the surrounding noise.

You may not have heard of Allen Toussaint, but you’ve certainly heard Allen Toussaint. Toussaint is the heart of New Orleans and its rhythm, blues, jazz, and soul scene.

Composing and producing for over 50 years, Toussaint’s beats still permeate through New Orleans. His music has been an inspiration for decades, as the Foo Fighters detail in an episode of HBO’s Sonic Highways.

Without Toussaint, there would be no Lady Marmalade. Boz Scaggs, John Mayall, Dr. John, The Yardbirds. Those are just a few of the artists Toussaint has collaborated with.

Without Toussaint, New Orleans probably wouldn’t be the funky New Orleans we know it as.

Toussaint, 76, has understandably slowed down his production the last couple of decades. But he’s remained a mentor and an inspiration for musics all over the world.

Toussaint’s reach extends all the way to Glasgow, Scotland, where the MermaidS, a very dope production outfit that you probably haven’t heard of, have re-interpreted one of Toussaint’s classics: Night People.

I had never heard the original or really grasped Toussaint’s importance until stumbling across this edit a few days ago. It’s a worthy tribute, and just another way that the legend of Toussaint will continue to live on:

From the Monday of Thanksgiving week until about February 1st, the music industry has a way of taking the deepest and heaviest vacation known to mankind. You see, by then, all fourth-quarter releases have either been released or set to be released, so the corporatocracy of the music world decides that it can pat itself on the back and take an extended break. It’s almost a slap in the face to itself as year-over-year sales continue to diminish and every single A&R can be frantically found searching for the next Taylor Swift. But rather than follow the oldest models of genetically-built good music and true artist development over time, they continue to attempt to take the fastest routes with the longest vacation times as long as their checks keep coming in. For this reason, of many others, is why the independents continue to thrive and win in a market once ruled by only the majors.

I thought about posting something to mellow out your Sunday today, but then I realized that mellowing out a day like today is part of the problem. Why? Well because tomorrow is Monday, and what better day to get ready for a Monday than the day before? So turn up the volume and only press play on this Invoker remix of Jill Scott‘s “It’s Love” if you are ready to say “FUCK THE NORM” and continue blasting through the rest of 2014 instead of mellowing out.

Mellowing out after or during Thanksgiving Week is lame. It’s that lazy mentality that has our industry in a full flat spin with no chance of recovery. It’s that same mentality that has everyone else in full resolution mode on January 2nd instead of simply breaking through the New Year with the regime they already know they need. I mean, why wait when you can start now, and why end a year still full of so much potential a full five weeks before it’s over? Does that not sound insane to you as well?

Anyway, French producer Invokertakes a Jill Scott classic, speeds up her vocals, screws the lyrics up some for a repeat-effect that nods right along with the tune’s foot-tapping percussion, and splashes it here and there with little bits of UK garage elements and some slight deep house bass wobbles that remain true to the original’s bassline.

“It’s Love” (Invoker Remix) is simply the kind of track that you want to hit play on when you need that extra boost of energy towards the last sprints of your morning runs or the final reps of your daily workouts; the kind of musical energy that will lift you up from a bed and force you to get dressed and attack the world when you least want to, and maybe even when you’re as sick as a puppy on your deathbed.

Let’s get ready for Monday, for the week to come, and for a month full of beautiful surprises to be.

Tie me down, try to hold me upBut the wall ain’t high enoughThey play so hardIn a game so roughBut I still can’tGive it up”

There is so much happening around the world that American Patriots fail to realize. Most of those older generations have been so brainwashed that they don’t even understand how their own government works. They still believe that government is for the people, failing to understand that the very political candidates that they believe they have voted into office have been selected and backed by the Billionaires of the world. How do you control anything in a democratic system? Simple. You control the outcomes by curating the candidates. You see, no matter who you pick or what answer you pick on that multiple choice exam you have in front of you, the choices that you can choose from have been designed and limited, so how exactly is that true freedom?

From the Kennedys to the Koch Brothers, politics in America are all about corporate alliances because corporations are the only ones who can afford influence, and if you have money, then America has always been for sale, right?

Our old school generations are lost in fairy tales about owning houses and cars without any money to back it. We are one of the only systems in the planet that runs on imaginary money (credit), which is precisely how you maintain slaves without them ever realizing and understanding that they are slaves. There is nothing more effective or efficient than happy slaves who don’t know they are slaves and truly believe that they are free. Without our hard-earned dollars circulating into the system continuously, the system breaks down, as the corporate monsters horde piles of cash in overseas shadow vaults and pay relatively nothing on taxes; meanwhile we give more than a third of ours. Next thing these “American Patriots” will tell us is that inequality in America is a myth.. Meanwhile, in America, we have reached a RECORD homelessness rate that has not been seen here, ever; not even throughout The Great Depression..

If everything is GREAT, then why does this country continue to find itself in cycles? Is #Ferguson not something that keeps happening over and over, with the exact same result every, single, time?

The Youth is finally tired of it. If you study patterns, then you know what I speak of. You can feel it on your back, and you can see it online. Videos of youth banding together, more and more, are becoming a reality and the norm. People fighting back the robocops of America during unjustified arrests. More and more people showing in numbers to protest together all over cities in America. Sure, we have the ignoramuses of the culture who only know from our pasts that rioting gets us attention and action, but little by little we will eliminate that ugly tactic and continue to incorporate the power in numbers, peacefully, that will bring real change. Trust us. The Youth is smarter and stronger than ever. We have access to instant information that the older patriots didn’t, and so we are advanced versions of everything they could ever wish to be and will never see.

Jump HI by Lion Babe is a soulful tune blessed with Erykah Baduesque vocals that shine bright over its powerful Hip-Hop bassline and crafty cuts. They may not have intended it to be a revolutionary song, but that’s exactly how it speaks to me from its lyrics. It’s another breath of resistant air that reminds us not to quit and never to give up.

We all know that this society was designed unfairly from the beginning. We know this because we can feel it, because our parents taught us the difference between right and wrong from birth, and because every single time we see an injustice in front of us we feel the pain of it. Maybe some of the older generations have been numbed to ignorance, but like a successful revolutionary once said: “the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality”.